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welcome to the commons cast we're glad

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to have you here we hope you find

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something meaningful in our teaching

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this week head to commons dot church for

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more information

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we continue our lenten series

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lent is why i am wearing purple again

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this week if you haven't seen a clerical

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stall before

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this simply helps to remind us of the

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season that we're in and what we're

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preparing our hearts for which of course

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is easter

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but we still have quite a journey ahead

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of us

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six more signs of things to come

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now last week we explored what john

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calls the first sign

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jesus turning water into wine at a

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wedding

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and this is one of my favorite stories

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of jesus jesus making good wine and a

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lot of it to keep a party going late

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into the night i mean that is just good

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stuff

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i made a joke about apothec red and how

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bad it was last week and a lot of people

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gave me dirty looks i deserved that

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but i stand by my opinion so take it up

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with jesus that said

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as much as i love this story

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it is one that we do need to be careful

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with

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it is very easy for christians to

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misread a celebration of jewish custom

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and ritual as a critique of judaism

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if you don't already understand the

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culture and the beauty of these rituals

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what they meant and what they were for

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then the fact that jesus takes these

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stone jars for ceremonial washing

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and repurposes them as vessels of

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celebration

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that can very easily seem

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like a repudiation of those religious

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practices that jesus grew up with and

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continued to celebrate throughout all of

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his life

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that there's no sense in this story

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that jesus ever stopped ceremonially

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washing his hands before a meal or that

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he ever expected his disciples to stop

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either

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so instead of imagining this story

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as these stuffy rules that we used to

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follow but now we get to party

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a better way to contextualize jesus

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intent here

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is on the lines of him speaking to his

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people saying we've had these rituals

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that have sustained us for centuries

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that have reminded us of god's presence

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near us and with us and the first sign

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of things to come

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is a celebration of the fact that it was

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all true

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god was near god is near and everything

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we have longed and hope for it is all

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coming to pass

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now you may not be jewish i'm not jewish

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and so these rituals that jesus

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celebrates they aren't mine

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but i still find this incredibly

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encouraging

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i mean how do you remind yourself of

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god's presence how rituals and systems

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and habits do you celebrate that keep

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you close to god

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do you journal do you pray do you get up

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every sunday and come to church even

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when it's daylight savings time

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do you volunteer at the mustard seed to

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pray for peace

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jesus is saying that whatever our

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reminders and rituals are when they

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become realized

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they point us to the world that will be

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and so my encouragement is in whatever

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small moments you experience joy in the

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presence of the divine

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whatever religious commitments you have

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that transcend your religion

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and connect you directly to the

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heartbeat behind them reminding you of

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god's goodness always

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that is the sign jesus is pointing

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toward

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our rituals are not wasted

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our attempts at goodness are not futile

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the small contributions that all of us

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make every day to align ourselves with

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god's imagination for the world on earth

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as it is in heaven jesus once said

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all of this is a sign of things to come

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today we move on to sign two but we're

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actually going to talk about two

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connected stories that move us together

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toward john's second slime

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first of all let's pray together

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god who continues to offer us signs of

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things to come

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who speaks with grace and compassion

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even in the midst of our hurts and fears

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even in the midst of the violence we

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direct toward each other

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may we have ears to hear and eyes to see

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your presence that surrounds us always

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may those glimpses of truth those

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glances of beauty

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inspire dancing and celebration our

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parties long into the evening

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and may that joy become the fuel to

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re-engage the needed work of justice and

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restoration around us

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may your signs inspire us to the hard

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work ahead

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and trusting that none of it is in vain

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and for those of us who are hurt today

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perhaps let down by someone we trusted

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perhaps wondering if what we thought was

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goodness was just an illusion

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we asked that your spirit of comfort be

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near and close

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that truth would bubble to the surface

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and that healing be allowed to take

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place in each of us

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and that this might in time become a

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sign of your promise creation renewed

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and restored in us

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may joy return wherever it is lacking

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and may your kingdom come

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as it already is in heaven

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in the strong name

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of the risen christ we pray

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amen okay

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today we got two stories a woman at a

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well and an official with a sick son

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and we're going to talk about how i

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think those stories are actually

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connected in john's imagination

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but here's our agenda for today

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weddings and divorces royal officials

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and no signs for you

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but we're going to look at john 4 today

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so let's start by setting the stage

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after the wedding at canada jesus has

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gone down to jerusalem for the passover

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so cana where the wedding that we talked

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about last week happened is in the

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northern region called galilee jerusalem

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is way down in the south in a region

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called judea

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and jesus makes that journey for

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passover

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chapter four he's starting the long

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journey back home

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we're talking about 150 kilometers here

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so this is a multi-day journey by foot

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however between galilee and the north

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and judea and the south there was a

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region called samaria that jesus would

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have had to travel through

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now samaritans were a related ethnic

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group

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that drew their lineage from the

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assyrian occupation of this area

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centuries earlier

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so they had both azirium and jewish

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ancestors and they had religious

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practices that were drawn from both of

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those stories and cultures

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but while traveling through this area

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jesus meets a samaritan woman at a well

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one day

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and you may have heard that story we

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have talked about it here before it's a

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pretty famous one

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but jesus comes up and asks her for a

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drink

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she's surprised that he's interacting

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with her so freely

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there were gender expectations at the

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time but there were also clearly some

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tensions between these ethnic groups

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regardless they strike up a conversation

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and two important things happen first

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jesus slowly shifts the conversation

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from a drink of water to the living

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water that he offers

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and second

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he surprises her with this profound

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knowledge of her life and story

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now

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when you read the interaction in john 4

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it feels kind of strange the woman says

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look man it's kind of weird that you're

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out here asking me for water in the

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middle of the day

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and jesus responds actually if you knew

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who i was you would ask me for living

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water

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to which she replies what are you

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talking about now in english it can kind

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of sound like she's just not keeping up

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with things right but the metaphor that

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jesus uses here is actually very subtle

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that living water sounds obviously

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spiritual to us in english right

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but in the first century living water

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was also a way of saying running water

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like a stream

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there's a very ancient document called

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the decay

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it's one of the first church manuals

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that we have sort of a book about how to

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do church

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but at one point it talks about baptism

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how do you do a baptism

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and the writer says look if you can

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always use living water for a baptism if

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you don't have that still water is fine

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but try to make sure it's as cold as

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possible

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this basically comes down to hygiene

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right dumping old warm standing water on

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top of someone came with some

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significant health risks

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living water flowing water or at least

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cold water was going to mitigate the

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presence of bacteria they didn't

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understand bacteria but they knew what

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made you sick

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the point being

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living water just meant fresh running

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water like a stream

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so

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when jesus asks for well water

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and says actually i've already got some

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fresh water the woman is like well why

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are you here asking me for a drink

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and so it's now that jesus starts to

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make clear that he's getting at

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something deeper

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he says whoever drinks the water i offer

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will never thirst again you see this

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water that i give

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becomes in them a spring of water

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welling up to eternal life

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and so the woman replies okay i see

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where this is going tell me more

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now we get to the famous part of the

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story right

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jesus says go and get your husband and

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the woman says i don't have a husband

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and jesus says that's right

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you've had five husbands and the man you

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are with now is not your husband

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no

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many scholars like lynn kohick have

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pointed this out and we've talked about

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it before the assumptions we make about

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this woman are flat out wrong

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this is not a story about some serial

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adulteress

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this is not a judgment against this

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woman that jesus is making at all in

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fact jesus is empathizing with her story

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here

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now the simple fact is

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that a woman in the first century could

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not divorce a husband

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she could only be divorced by a husband

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in other words

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this is a woman

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who has been continually abandoned and

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00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:27,200
discarded by the men in her life and she

287
00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:30,000
has continued to pick herself back up

288
00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:32,160
and move forward regardless

289
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,920
and the way that she responds to jesus

290
00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:36,640
comments indicates that she understood

291
00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:39,120
his intent and compassion

292
00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,959
she saw his words as welcome not

293
00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,800
criticism

294
00:10:40,959 --> 00:10:44,480
and so she says i can see that you're a

295
00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:47,440
prophet and they begin to talk about

296
00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:49,040
their various religious traditions

297
00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,880
the woman ends up coming to a place of

298
00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,240
trust in jesus and she invites him to

299
00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,600
spend some time with her and her

300
00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,279
community

301
00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,360
now side note here

302
00:10:55,279 --> 00:10:58,959
this is not all at all out of character

303
00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,800
for jesus

304
00:10:58,959 --> 00:11:02,079
when jesus talks about divorce in the

305
00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,760
sermon on the mount he takes a very

306
00:11:02,079 --> 00:11:06,000
similar approach

307
00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:07,760
he says it has been said anyone who

308
00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:10,399
divorces his wife must give her a

309
00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:12,720
certificate of divorce but i tell you

310
00:11:10,399 --> 00:11:15,360
anyone that divorces his wife except for

311
00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:17,120
sexual immorality makes her the victim

312
00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,279
of adultery

313
00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:21,120
now the context here again only men

314
00:11:19,279 --> 00:11:22,959
could divorce a woman

315
00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:25,040
but if they did they were supposed to at

316
00:11:22,959 --> 00:11:27,440
least provide a certificate of divorce

317
00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:28,800
essentially a legal divorce that allowed

318
00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,800
a woman to remarry that's part of the

319
00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,800
law of moses problem was they often

320
00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:34,880
didn't do that

321
00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:36,880
largely because there were basically no

322
00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,640
ramifications for men getting divorced

323
00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,240
at all

324
00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,880
women on the other hand

325
00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:44,480
who couldn't hold property or own things

326
00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,399
the way that men could they were often

327
00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,640
dependent on finding a new partner to

328
00:11:46,399 --> 00:11:50,480
look after themselves

329
00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,160
but if they weren't legally divorced

330
00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:55,040
that would automatically make them

331
00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:58,320
adulterous in the eyes of many

332
00:11:55,040 --> 00:12:00,480
so jesus says look divorce is hard

333
00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,160
and divorce is full of hurt divorce is a

334
00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:05,200
concession to the brokenness of our

335
00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:09,680
relationships but it happens

336
00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:11,519
let's not add injustice on top of that

337
00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:15,360
let's look out for those who are

338
00:12:11,519 --> 00:12:17,680
disadvantaged by the status quo

339
00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:20,240
and so consistently throughout the

340
00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:22,160
gospels jesus takes the side of anyone

341
00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,399
who is on the downside of the power

342
00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:26,800
differential

343
00:12:24,399 --> 00:12:29,040
advocating for a more fair approach to

344
00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,800
the systemic imbalances in all of our

345
00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,880
relationships

346
00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,480
the gospel is not just hey let's be nice

347
00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:36,880
to each other

348
00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:39,120
jesus is advocating that we begin to

349
00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:42,399
fundamentally restructure the systems

350
00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,760
that allow for abuse in the first place

351
00:12:42,399 --> 00:12:45,760
and so here

352
00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,680
on his way back to cana

353
00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,040
the rural region that he comes from in

354
00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:51,600
the north

355
00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:53,519
returning from a big religious festival

356
00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:56,720
in the south he interacts with a

357
00:12:53,519 --> 00:12:58,399
samaritan woman in the middle

358
00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,480
a human person

359
00:12:58,399 --> 00:13:04,079
who has a very different experience of

360
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:06,320
gender in the associated cultural norms

361
00:13:04,079 --> 00:13:08,720
a human person who comes from a related

362
00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:11,839
but different ethnic and religious

363
00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:14,000
background from himself

364
00:13:11,839 --> 00:13:16,160
he empathizes with the imbalances he

365
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:18,480
commends her for her religious practice

366
00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:21,120
and devotion and he says

367
00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:23,920
a day is coming when where we worship

368
00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,920
and how we worship won't matter

369
00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,320
a day when all of our limitations and

370
00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:31,200
misconceptions will be swallowed up by

371
00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:34,639
grace and on that day we will all of us

372
00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,920
worship in spirit and truth

373
00:13:34,639 --> 00:13:38,000
okay

374
00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,440
hold on to that interaction

375
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,199
i think it's going to be important as we

376
00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,399
follow the rest of the story in chapter

377
00:13:41,199 --> 00:13:44,720
four

378
00:13:42,399 --> 00:13:46,399
now picking up in verse 43 we read after

379
00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,320
the two days he left galilee now that's

380
00:13:46,399 --> 00:13:51,199
the two days he was invited by this

381
00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:53,120
woman to stay in her community with her

382
00:13:51,199 --> 00:13:55,040
teaching them in samaria

383
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,199
but after the two days in samaria he

384
00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:59,279
left for galilee

385
00:13:57,199 --> 00:14:01,839
now jesus himself had pointed out that a

386
00:13:59,279 --> 00:14:03,680
prophet has no honor in his own country

387
00:14:01,839 --> 00:14:04,959
yet when he arrived in galilee the

388
00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:07,440
galileans

389
00:14:04,959 --> 00:14:09,600
welcomed him for they had seen all that

390
00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,800
he had done in jerusalem at the passover

391
00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,000
festival

392
00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,600
now this is sort of an interesting

393
00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,040
comment right

394
00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,800
john points out

395
00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,240
that an honor a prophet has no honor in

396
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,000
his own country and then jesus comes

397
00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:22,399
home to his own country and is greeted

398
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,000
with i mean a lot of honor

399
00:14:22,399 --> 00:14:26,079
probably what's happening here is the

400
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,519
author is being ironic

401
00:14:26,079 --> 00:14:31,040
and that's because

402
00:14:27,519 --> 00:14:33,360
two chapters later in john 6 15 we read

403
00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,600
that jesus knowing they intended to come

404
00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:37,279
and make him king by force withdrew

405
00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,519
again to a mountain by himself and then

406
00:14:37,279 --> 00:14:42,320
a few verses later we see from this time

407
00:14:39,519 --> 00:14:44,720
on many of his disciples turned back and

408
00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:47,360
no longer followed him

409
00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:49,199
all of that happens in the galilee

410
00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,880
in other words he comes home and the

411
00:14:49,199 --> 00:14:52,399
people are excited

412
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,959
but then they listen to him and they

413
00:14:52,399 --> 00:14:56,959
become a little less enthusiastic

414
00:14:54,959 --> 00:14:58,639
and john is sort of setting the stage

415
00:14:56,959 --> 00:15:00,320
for what's going to come as the story

416
00:14:58,639 --> 00:15:02,880
unfolds

417
00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:05,519
other way this is what we read next

418
00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:07,519
once more he visited cana in galilee

419
00:15:05,519 --> 00:15:09,360
where he had turned the water into wine

420
00:15:07,519 --> 00:15:11,040
again we're laying groundwork here we're

421
00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,360
connecting back to where we were last

422
00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:16,880
week and there was a certain royal

423
00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:19,440
official whose son laisik at capernaum

424
00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:22,079
when this man heard that jesus had

425
00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:24,320
arrived in galilee from judea he went to

426
00:15:22,079 --> 00:15:26,720
him and begged him to come and heal his

427
00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:28,399
son who was close to death

428
00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,279
unless you people see signs and wonders

429
00:15:28,399 --> 00:15:33,279
jesus told him you will never believe

430
00:15:31,279 --> 00:15:36,000
but the royal official said sir come

431
00:15:33,279 --> 00:15:39,279
down before my child dies

432
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:41,199
go jesus replied your son will live

433
00:15:39,279 --> 00:15:42,639
the man took jesus at his word and

434
00:15:41,199 --> 00:15:43,839
departed

435
00:15:42,639 --> 00:15:45,680
while he was still on the way his

436
00:15:43,839 --> 00:15:47,600
servants met him with the news that his

437
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,279
boy was living

438
00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,360
when he inquired as to the time when his

439
00:15:49,279 --> 00:15:54,160
son got better they said yesterday at

440
00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,839
one in the afternoon the fever left him

441
00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,079
and the father realized that this was

442
00:15:55,839 --> 00:16:00,639
the exact time at which jesus had said

443
00:15:58,079 --> 00:16:03,839
to him your son will live

444
00:16:00,639 --> 00:16:06,480
so he and his whole household believed

445
00:16:03,839 --> 00:16:09,759
this was the second sign jesus performed

446
00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:11,759
after coming from judea to galilee

447
00:16:09,759 --> 00:16:14,160
now another interesting story right

448
00:16:11,759 --> 00:16:16,959
and again fascinating that john thinks

449
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:19,040
this all of this is the second sign of

450
00:16:16,959 --> 00:16:21,920
things to come

451
00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:23,199
but let's talk about a few things here

452
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,199
and how this whole chapter works

453
00:16:23,199 --> 00:16:26,959
together to illustrate what i think is

454
00:16:25,199 --> 00:16:30,480
john's point

455
00:16:26,959 --> 00:16:32,000
first of all a certain royal official i

456
00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,079
don't know if you noticed this but this

457
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,800
woman at the well in john 4 and this

458
00:16:34,079 --> 00:16:38,880
royal official in john 4 neither of them

459
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:40,880
get names

460
00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,639
that's not to say that all of the

461
00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:45,360
characters in john are anonymous they're

462
00:16:42,639 --> 00:16:47,680
not right nicodemus in john 3

463
00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:49,839
nathaniel and john 2 are both named and

464
00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,279
they illustrate a personal connection to

465
00:16:49,839 --> 00:16:53,040
jesus

466
00:16:51,279 --> 00:16:54,800
we even talked about nathaniel's

467
00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,720
possible connection to the wedding at

468
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,639
cana last week

469
00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,600
but we also talked about how john has an

470
00:16:58,639 --> 00:17:04,559
agenda in writing his gospel

471
00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,919
this is a second generation christian

472
00:17:04,559 --> 00:17:07,760
text

473
00:17:05,919 --> 00:17:10,000
it's reflecting back on the story of

474
00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:12,720
jesus and highlighting the meaning and

475
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:14,240
the significance of his life

476
00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:16,720
so often

477
00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:18,799
when we read these types of anonymous

478
00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,799
encounters in john

479
00:17:18,799 --> 00:17:22,959
it could simply be

480
00:17:20,799 --> 00:17:24,880
that by the time john is written the

481
00:17:22,959 --> 00:17:27,919
names and identities have been lost and

482
00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:29,520
forgotten to time but it's more likely

483
00:17:27,919 --> 00:17:32,080
that the reason certain stories are

484
00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:34,160
anonymous is because the writer wants

485
00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:36,559
those stories to be reflective of

486
00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,799
something larger

487
00:17:36,559 --> 00:17:40,960
the scholar gary bird says that these

488
00:17:38,799 --> 00:17:44,640
anonymous characters are mirrors in

489
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:46,480
which to view jesus from another angle

490
00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,799
in other words when a character is

491
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:50,400
anonymous john wants us to see ourselves

492
00:17:48,799 --> 00:17:52,080
in that character

493
00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,000
and we see ourselves in them and through

494
00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:55,919
that we see jesus in a slightly

495
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,160
different way

496
00:17:55,919 --> 00:18:01,440
okay and what about this certain royal

497
00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:03,280
official who is he well literally in

498
00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,400
greek what we read here is a certain

499
00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,840
royal

500
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,640
now that doesn't mean this guy is the

501
00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,480
king

502
00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:11,360
or even a member of the royal household

503
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:13,120
but what it does signify likely

504
00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:14,720
is that he worked directly for herod

505
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:18,080
antipas

506
00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:19,840
now herod was the tetrarch of galilee

507
00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:22,480
fancy title but it just means that he

508
00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:24,080
ruled over one-fourth of an area

509
00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,160
and in this case it was the northern

510
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:28,799
jewish region galilee in the smaller

511
00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:31,360
region to the east called perea

512
00:18:28,799 --> 00:18:34,559
now herod had been installed there by

513
00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:36,799
the roman empire to keep the roman peace

514
00:18:34,559 --> 00:18:39,280
that largely meant negotiating with the

515
00:18:36,799 --> 00:18:42,480
jewish peoples and if necessary

516
00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:44,559
violently putting down any uprisings

517
00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:46,400
he is the son of herod the great

518
00:18:44,559 --> 00:18:48,400
who ordered a bunch of babies murdered

519
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,240
around the time of jesus birth

520
00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,400
and he is the same man who would later

521
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,400
murder jesus cousin john the baptist so

522
00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:57,200
not a good dude

523
00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:59,280
but that means that the certain royal

524
00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,880
that comes to jesus for all intents and

525
00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:04,400
purposes

526
00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:06,640
works within and directly for

527
00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,799
the very system that kept jesus people

528
00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:11,280
subjugated

529
00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:15,679
that harmed his family directly and that

530
00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:17,039
would eventually execute jesus himself

531
00:19:15,679 --> 00:19:19,440
in other words

532
00:19:17,039 --> 00:19:22,320
there is a really interesting contrast

533
00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:25,120
john is building in this chapter

534
00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:27,360
between a samaritan woman abandoned by

535
00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:29,520
her partners

536
00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:32,720
and a royal official who wields the

537
00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,720
power of the state

538
00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:37,760
and the hinge here for me

539
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,520
is this sort of gruff line we get from

540
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:41,760
jesus

541
00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:45,039
unless you people see signs and wonders

542
00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:46,480
you will never believe

543
00:19:45,039 --> 00:19:47,919
see that comes

544
00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,760
at a really interesting moment in the

545
00:19:47,919 --> 00:19:52,000
encounter

546
00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,760
we read that this official went to jesus

547
00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,440
and begged him to come and heal his son

548
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,760
who was close to death and jesus says ah

549
00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,440
without a sign you'll never believe

550
00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,039
except if you look more closely at the

551
00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,200
language here there's some i think

552
00:20:01,039 --> 00:20:04,240
questionable choices that the niv has

553
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,840
made

554
00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,679
the word they have translated begged

555
00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:09,280
here is the word erota

556
00:20:07,679 --> 00:20:12,159
and veg is okay

557
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:14,320
it can be used that way particularly if

558
00:20:12,159 --> 00:20:16,640
the context indicates it

559
00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,960
but more commonly this word simply meant

560
00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:21,120
to ask for something

561
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:24,880
that's how it's translated in the esv he

562
00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:27,360
asked jesus to come and heal his son

563
00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:29,039
where the niv is getting begged from

564
00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:31,600
is that the word is in what we call the

565
00:20:29,039 --> 00:20:33,520
imperfect indicative form and that

566
00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,120
doesn't really correspond to the past

567
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,280
tensed begged

568
00:20:35,120 --> 00:20:41,520
it indicates something like an ongoing

569
00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:44,000
action he kept asking jesus to come

570
00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:46,080
so begged is an option i get it

571
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,320
but from the context i would argue here

572
00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:50,159
there's another possibility

573
00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:52,640
and you can see that in the way that the

574
00:20:50,159 --> 00:20:57,039
nasb has translated this when it says he

575
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:58,640
began asking or he kept asking jesus

576
00:20:57,039 --> 00:21:00,159
which makes more sense to me when jesus

577
00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,919
replies unless you see a sign and wonder

578
00:21:00,159 --> 00:21:03,679
you will never believe in the man who is

579
00:21:01,919 --> 00:21:06,480
used to getting his way

580
00:21:03,679 --> 00:21:08,480
used to making demands used to seeing

581
00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,720
people respond to him immediately when

582
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:14,400
he asked for something

583
00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:16,240
says sir come now before my child dies

584
00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:19,120
that's an imperative in the greek which

585
00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,960
means it's a command to jesus come

586
00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:23,200
now

587
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,960
and there's a really interesting dynamic

588
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,520
here

589
00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:30,240
this man this official he clearly knows

590
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:32,320
that he needs jesus help

591
00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:34,559
he calls him sir it's actually kurios or

592
00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:36,640
lord in the text he defers to jesus in

593
00:21:34,559 --> 00:21:38,960
one sense

594
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:41,200
but then in the next he's demanding or

595
00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:43,200
at the very least strongly expecting

596
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:45,440
that jesus is going to accommodate him

597
00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:48,799
in the next

598
00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:50,640
and man if that doesn't ring true for me

599
00:21:48,799 --> 00:21:52,240
i mean how many times have i prayed or

600
00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,760
how many times have i given money or how

601
00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,039
many times have i volunteered my time

602
00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:57,600
and then acted as if or at the very

603
00:21:55,039 --> 00:21:59,919
least felt like i deserved something on

604
00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,600
the back end

605
00:21:59,919 --> 00:22:04,720
in fact sometimes there's something even

606
00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:07,760
more insidious in that isn't there

607
00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:09,120
sometimes it's even more satisfying to

608
00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,960
think you're not getting what you

609
00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:13,200
deserve it feels like you've been hard

610
00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:15,600
done by or under appreciated we kind of

611
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,840
feed off of that

612
00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,799
that's a tricky line

613
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,880
right because sometimes we are

614
00:22:18,799 --> 00:22:23,120
underappreciated

615
00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:25,280
sometimes we are underpaid and sometimes

616
00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:27,039
we have been undervalued or dismissed

617
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:30,080
and we do need to learn how to stand up

618
00:22:27,039 --> 00:22:33,760
for ourselves and ask for something

619
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:36,000
but maybe that's part of the story here

620
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,280
our starting point where we come from

621
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,120
today we might even call that our

622
00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:41,520
privilege

623
00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:43,120
but the disparate experiences of say an

624
00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:46,000
ignored woman

625
00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:48,960
and a respected official

626
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:51,120
that can often obscure the line between

627
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,280
the goodness of god that comes to find

628
00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:53,280
us

629
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:58,000
and the expectation of being served that

630
00:22:55,760 --> 00:23:02,720
often comes from existing for far too

631
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,720
long at the top of an unbalanced scale

632
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:08,960
now is there anything wrong with what

633
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:11,440
this man is asking for of course not

634
00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:13,520
he has a son in pain a child that he

635
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:16,080
loves of course he would advocate for

636
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,080
healing

637
00:23:16,159 --> 00:23:21,440
but remember this story this chapter is

638
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:24,880
more than just about a son in need this

639
00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,880
is about the world to come

640
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:30,400
and so we get this really interesting

641
00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:32,559
contradiction here

642
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:35,200
where jesus says you won't believe

643
00:23:32,559 --> 00:23:38,400
without a sign so no no sign for you

644
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:40,559
you'll have to leave trusting

645
00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:43,600
and he does

646
00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:47,039
and then john tells us that all of this

647
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:47,039
is a sign of things to come

648
00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,880
if you were to sit me down and demand

649
00:23:49,279 --> 00:23:53,520
that i tell you exactly what i think

650
00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,799
john's meaning here is

651
00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,240
i mean yes

652
00:23:54,799 --> 00:23:58,720
of course i would say that it's about

653
00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:00,640
the healing of our bodies

654
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:03,120
and the ways in which the world to come

655
00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:05,520
will free us from the terror of sickness

656
00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:08,799
and the tyranny of decay but if i had to

657
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:10,799
give you my gut feeling

658
00:24:08,799 --> 00:24:12,640
my perspective on what i think he's

659
00:24:10,799 --> 00:24:16,400
getting at i'd have to say it's more

660
00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,400
than just the healing of our bodies

661
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:23,679
i think it's also about the healing the

662
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,679
reordering of our expectations

663
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:30,080
how perhaps those of us who are used to

664
00:24:27,279 --> 00:24:30,080
getting our way

665
00:24:30,159 --> 00:24:34,720
and acquiring what we need and having

666
00:24:32,159 --> 00:24:39,039
our requests taken seriously how we can

667
00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:39,039
learn to trust in what we can't see

668
00:24:39,919 --> 00:24:44,000
even as those of us who've been pushed

669
00:24:41,919 --> 00:24:45,679
to the edges and ignored start to notice

670
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,000
god showing up in all kinds of

671
00:24:45,679 --> 00:24:50,400
unexpected places and out of bounds

672
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,640
conversations signs of god all around

673
00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,640
them

674
00:24:53,279 --> 00:24:58,240
except here's the real beauty of all

675
00:24:54,720 --> 00:25:01,240
that that is a gift to everyone in this

676
00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,240
chapter

677
00:25:01,679 --> 00:25:07,120
because samaritan women

678
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:09,919
who notice the messiah talking with them

679
00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:11,600
as equals they return home as leaders in

680
00:25:09,919 --> 00:25:14,559
their communities ready to expand the

681
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:16,880
story for everyone

682
00:25:14,559 --> 00:25:18,960
and royal officials

683
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:21,200
that gain the ability to trust in the

684
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:24,960
goodness of god beyond just what they

685
00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:24,960
can demand with their stature

686
00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:30,080
they become the kind of people that

687
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:34,159
slowly decouple their imagination of god

688
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:34,159
from the expectations of their culture

689
00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:40,640
and when that truly begins to happen

690
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:43,120
then even those royal officials can

691
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:45,039
become signs of god's blessing to those

692
00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:47,600
who've been struggling to see the divine

693
00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:47,600
all along

694
00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:53,760
and maybe this is the sign of things to

695
00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:55,919
come a world in which the hungry are

696
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:58,960
filled with good things and the rich are

697
00:25:55,919 --> 00:26:03,039
sent away empty

698
00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:03,039
and both of them are better for it

699
00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,600
the promise of a god that loves each of

700
00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:11,520
us enough to meet us wherever we are

701
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:14,320
with the healing that we need

702
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,320
specifically

703
00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:19,440
may the sign of things to come give us

704
00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:22,240
hope for the healing of our bodies today

705
00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:24,400
absolutely

706
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:28,960
but perhaps also the healing of our

707
00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:28,960
expectations and assumptions about god

708
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,679
and the trust that as we grow in

709
00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:36,480
awareness of the goodness that surrounds

710
00:26:33,679 --> 00:26:38,640
us always

711
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:42,960
learning to celebrate what comes near to

712
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,960
us instead of just a demanding of more

713
00:26:43,679 --> 00:26:48,880
that we might actually see the unending

714
00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:51,039
graciousness of god and the ways that we

715
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:54,640
can become a blessing beyond ourselves

716
00:26:51,039 --> 00:26:54,640
to those who need it

717
00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,360
let's pray

718
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:04,000
god that comes near to all of us with

719
00:27:00,799 --> 00:27:04,000
signs of things to come

720
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,760
for those of us who like a samaritan

721
00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,600
woman

722
00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,679
have not seen your presence for a very

723
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:14,720
long time

724
00:27:11,679 --> 00:27:17,760
and if putin pushed aside

725
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:20,480
ignored abandoned

726
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:24,399
might we today see your presence a sign

727
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:25,919
of your goodness around us and near us

728
00:27:24,399 --> 00:27:28,000
then for those of us who like royal

729
00:27:25,919 --> 00:27:30,080
officials are full of blessing in our

730
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:32,840
lives surrounded by your goodness all

731
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:34,399
the time and yet still wanting

732
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:36,799
more

733
00:27:34,399 --> 00:27:39,200
might your spirit come near

734
00:27:36,799 --> 00:27:40,880
to remind us that a sign is not going to

735
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:45,360
make things better it is only our

736
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:45,360
awareness of gift that heals us

737
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,720
god might we recognize that probably

738
00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:52,320
most of us

739
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:54,399
are present in both of these characters

740
00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:56,640
without the push and pull of your spirit

741
00:27:54,399 --> 00:27:59,279
that welcomes us with signs of things to

742
00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:01,440
come and encourages us to see what is

743
00:27:59,279 --> 00:28:03,279
already around

744
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:07,440
is the goodness and the graciousness of

745
00:28:03,279 --> 00:28:09,840
the god that loves us perfectly

746
00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:12,399
that yes you want to heal our bodies our

747
00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:15,200
minds our emotions but also our

748
00:28:12,399 --> 00:28:19,279
expectations of you

749
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:21,520
and our sense of purpose in the world

750
00:28:19,279 --> 00:28:24,159
might you come near to each of us just

751
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:26,080
as we need in this moment in this day

752
00:28:24,159 --> 00:28:27,760
right now

753
00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:31,919
and may that

754
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:34,240
become the fuel the clarity the energy

755
00:28:31,919 --> 00:28:38,080
to become a sign of things to come to

756
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:40,640
everyone we encounter this week

757
00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,919
may we speak peace and blessing and

758
00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:44,880
truth

759
00:28:41,919 --> 00:28:47,760
with our words and our actions

760
00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:49,440
and the ways that we love

761
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:52,159
in the strong name

762
00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:55,159
of there is in christ we pray

763
00:28:52,159 --> 00:28:55,159
amen